


Score One For The Little Brother

by madam_minnie



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-18
Updated: 2009-11-24
Packaged: 2017-10-03 16:47:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madam_minnie/pseuds/madam_minnie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddy Lupin gets an insiders view of the joys and pitfalls of sibling rivalry one cold morning in the Potter family kitchen....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Score One for Little Brother

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of nowhere and begged to be written. Thanks to lovely [amightypenguin](http://amightypenguin.livejournal.com/) for the speedy beta and [oldenuf2nb](http://oldenuf2nb.livejournal.com/) for the summary.

Teddy Lupin sat at the kitchen table talking with Harry Potter as James and Albus descended the stairway from their bedrooms. The two were so enthralled in their discussion that neither noticed the blue-haired man watching them. The pair were in their undershirts and jeans as they came down to breakfast. When they reached the landing, their discussion, now more audible, quickly took Harry's attention as well.

"Look, if you're going to believe everything you hear, then you'll soon believe that Dementors are just Muggle dolls in dresses," James said exasperatedly. "Don't believe everything your Housemates tell ya, Al. That's all I'm saying." The sixteen-year-old redhead, whose build was more like his Uncle Ron's, had filled out in the last year. His position as the Gryffindor Quidditch Keeper and Captain was most likely helping to frame much of the bulk into solid muscle mass. His brunet younger brother was not far behind in build and looks. As opposing Quidditch Captains, the two had spent many a holiday perfecting their aerial assaults. As the Slytherin Seeker, Albus' frame was more lithe, but nonetheless sculpted and not for the first time, Teddy felt like a lecherous older relation when he watched the siblings.

"You just don't like the source of information," Albus replied, summoning a piece of toast before jumping up on the countertop to sit down.

"Why should I?" James answered summoning his own toast and straddling the chair next to Teddy across from his father. "Tell him, Dad. You can't trust a Malfoy."

"Dad's not going to say that," Albus challenged, smiling. "He doesn't throw the lot of us into the same contemptuous place that **you** do simply because we're Slytherins. Do you, Dad?"

"I..." Harry began to say and was cut off by James retort.

"Can't fight your own battles, little bro?"

"I can fight them just fine," Albus replied, swinging his legs and drinking his pumpkin juice. "You just can't handle the fact that I'm right on this one."

"If you **were** right, little brother, then I would gladly admit defeat on this. But, as usual, you are sadly mistaken and are just being led by your…"

Both boys' eyes widened as they realized what James almost said and when Teddy spit his tea back into his cup, they quickly looked at their father.

"We're often led by many things at your age son," Harry said with a smile, lifting his tea cup to his lips. "What's the argument about this time?"

"You wound us, Father," James said. "We are not ALWAYS arguing."

"See? You CAN be right from time to time, big brother," Albus said with a chuckle before sending a snitch sailing toward James' head.

"Oi! Cut it out! I'm trying to eat here!"

"James is just being a prat as usual," Albus answered his father. "Scorpius and I were working on our Potions essay and there was a mention about the old Headmaster Severus Snape listed as one of the most brilliant minds of his time. Scorpius said that Snape was so smart, he could even fly without a broomstick."

"Teddy, are you listening to him?" James said elbowing Teddy gently. "It's impossible to fly without a broomstick, Al! Tell him, Dad."

"Actually," Teddy cut into the conversation and Harry smirked as his godson blew the wind out of James' sails. "It's been reported that many Dark Arts Masters could transfigure body parts, limbs for example, to become wing-like and fly without the aid of a broom."

"You've gotta be shitting me, err… sorry," James cowered when his father gave him a stern look. "You're just putting me on," James said with a grin. "**He's** the gullible one," James said pointing at Albus with the tip of his fork before shoveling eggs into his mouth.

"If Mum catches you eating like that, you're not going to mount a broom for a week," Albus said jumping off the countertop and placing a kiss on top of Harry's head. "I'm going to get a few laps around the Pitch before we have for the train."

"It's freezing," Harry said. "Grab a coat."

"Nah, if I plan to beat cousin Hugo for the Cup, I better be able to see the Snitch in the blizzard we're going to have next week," Albus said throwing James his broomstick. "Come on, I'll let you score one."

"**Let me? **" James called out, running after his little brother. "Not even Uncle Ron can score on me."

"But I'm sure Teddy can," Albus shouted before sprinting off toward the Pitch.

The back of James' neck seemed to match his hair as he froze at the door before taking off after at a dead-run.

Hiding his smirk in his tea cup, Teddy resumed his visit with his godfather.


	2. Brother to Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple of Bludgers, a couple of Butterbeers, a couple of brothers lead to one big headache for Harry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys would not leave me alone until I told this story about them. They pestered me so much that I spent an entire day writing this moment. Thanks to [tqpannie](http://tqpannie.livejournal.com/) and [simons_flower](http://simons-flower.livejournal.com/) for the quick beta and to [dream_wia_dream](http://dream-wia-dream.livejournal.com/) and [oldenuf2nb](http://oldenuf2nb.livejournal.com/) for the once-over reads.

The brothers walked to the pitch in silence. Their brooms shouldered, carrying the large trunk of Quidditch supplies between them. Setting the heavy and tattered trunk down with a loud 'thunk,' James set his broom down and released the Bludgers as Albus took to the skies.   

"Typical," James muttered, rolling his eyes. Albus rarely helped with set-up of any sport or game they played. _He didn't help pack it up either_, James thought bitterly as he mounted his broom and kicked off the ground.

James circled the Pitch several times, keeping an eye on the Bludgers as they zoomed past completely out of control. Without Beaters to guide their trajectory, the hard rubber balls flew everywhere.

"_Accio_ bat!" Albus shouted from beneath James's broom, distracting him enough from tracking the Bludgers that one nearly hit him in the face.

"What are you doing?" James yelled at his brother who sent a Bludger flying high with one rather powerful swing.

"Scrimmage," Al shouted back and zoomed across to swing at another rogue Bludger. When he flew back toward James, a bright smile on his face, he called out to him. "Let's see if you can swing both ways on the pitch," he shouted, "Chaser and Seeker, I'll Beat and Keep!" Al winked and sped back to the other end of the Pitch.

"But you're the Seeker, you wanker!" James shouted and ducked as a Bludger narrowly missed his head.

He Accioed a Beater's bat as he feinted to dodge the Bludger Albus sent his way. If they were supposed to be practicing for their return to Hogwarts after winter hols, they should scrimmage in their team positions, shouldn't they? That meant Al should Seek and James should Keep. But no, Al had to find ways new ways to torture him on a daily basis. It wasn't bad enough to embarrass him in front of Dad and Teddy [this morning](http://www.thequidditchpitch.org/viewstory.php?sid=5362), now Albus was going to make him fly all over the bloody pitch looking for the blasted Snitch which he hated in the first place.

"Stop fantasizing about Teddy's arse and MOVE, Jamie-poo!" Albus called out to him and James snarled before sending a Bludger at the smarmy Slytherin. Albus might be his brother, but there was no doubt he was also a pain in the arse!

They played for an hour before taking a break. Flying to their favorite tree, they climbed up to the top branches above the tree house Uncle Ron and their Dad had built for them when Lily was born and summoned a few Butterbeers from their hidden compartment under one of the floorboards. They would have stayed inside the tree house, but Lily had recently placed a Bat-Bogey Hex on the wood and neither felt like spending the rest of the winter hols that way. Panting heavily, they clinked the bottles together before downing half of the sweet, warm liquid in one gulp.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Al asked, keeping his eyes fixated on the view of their house in the distance.

"About what?" James asked nervously, fidgeting as he took another swallow of Butterbeer.

Slowly turning his gaze from their house to his brother, Albus met James' gaze and, raising an eyebrow, shook his head. "I know I'm younger than you, but I wasn't born yesterday, big brother. I **know** you two are shagging; I heard you the other night."

James choked on his Butterbeer and sputtered as he wiped his mouth. "Wha- what are you talking about? Heard me and who?"

"He's a good-looking bloke, Jamie. Nothing wrong with it," Al said, taking another drink. "But he's family. It would be like Uncle Charlie and… and… well I don't know someone that was family but wasn't because he's not blood, you know? Like Kingsley!"

"You're an idiot. You know that, right?" James said, hoping to avoid answering the question. His heart hammered in his chest and he didn't know what to do or say.

"Look," Albus said, turning completely around to look at James then stopped and sighed. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" James asked nervously. "I can look at you any way I want!"

"Like I'm going to run off and tell the world you're gay," Al said quietly. "I wouldn't out you any more than you would out me."

James' eyes widened. _Had Albus just… admitted…_

"Yes, I'm gay. You're the first person I've told," Albus took another swig from his bottle then Summoned another bottle. "Well, except for my lover. He found out when I pushed him against the lockers and swallowed his cock whole."

James nearly choked again. "You… what? The locker room?"

Albus shrugged. "Only place I could get him alone."

"What… who… who is it?"

"Oh no," Albus said, shaking his head. "I'm not spilling until you tell me about you and Teddy."

"There's nothing to tell," James said, looking away.

"Fine," Al said after a while. "Think I have a chance with him? I'm a good cocksucker, or so I've been told. I bet I could make him scream."

"It's not going to work," James replied cautiously. He wouldn't put it past Albus to 'try' and seduce Teddy but… he sighed and looked at his brother. Albus turned heads everywhere he went and with his uncanny resemblance to their Dad: the unruly hair, the piercing green eyes, and solid but wiry frame, he was likely every man's wet dream. He must have been staring for a long time because Al shoved his shoulder and snorted.

"I wouldn't really do that, mate. Relax!" Albus shook his head and sighed again. "It's a shitty thing to do to anyone and though I may trounce you on the Pitch, you're still my brother."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before James blurted out, "Teddy and I have been shagging for a year and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him."

"You WHAT?" they heard Harry's bellow from the ground and both boys froze. _Oh shit!_

* * *

"Did you see the way Krotke caught the Snitch in that last Cannons match against Puddlemere?" Harry asked Teddy as they made their way toward the Pitch.

Teddy Lupin found that keeping up with Harry Potter as he trudged through the snow toward the Pitch in search of a quick fly with his boys was no easy feat. Not only did the man seem to glide through the icy terrain with ease, but he spoke animatedly with Teddy as if the treacherous patches of sludge-like snow were not in his way. If his brain had not been freezing in the icy terrain and his mind not been elsewhere, Teddy would have noticed that his godfather had stopped walking and was in fact searching the skies for his sons.

Teddy had every intention of talking to his godfather about his relationship with James. He'd rehearsed the speech in front of the mirror, just that morning, but could not bring up his Gryffindor courage to just say the words. He was still lost in thought, standing behind Harry at the base of the boys' favorite tree, his broom shouldered when he heard Harry's bellowed, "You WHAT?"

Suddenly, as if in stereo, the words James uttered registered, "Teddy and I have been shagging for a year and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him." When Harry whirled to stare daggers into him, Teddy was certain he was caught smiling up at the redhead. They'd not said the words to each other but Teddy was sure he felt them and hearing them from James was a welcome surprise.

Then his brain reminded his heart that his godfather was not only standing in front of him but was also the most powerful wizard in the Wizarding world.

"In the house," Harry growled at Teddy. "NOW!" he bellowed when Teddy didn't move fast enough, storming back toward the house, patches of snow melting in his wake.

"Harry," Teddy called out to his godfather. Harry was virtually running back to the house, hands balled into fists at his sides, his sons struggling to keep up behind Teddy. "Harry, please. Let me explain!"

Harry spun on his heel so fast that Teddy felt the wind whip around his face like an ice storm.

"What, exactly, do you plan to explain to me, Teddy?" His godfather's face was not only stern, but also steaming in tightly-controlled rage. Harry's green eyes blazed behind his spectacles and when he shifted his gaze toward his sons, for the first time in his life Teddy feared for their safety. He'd never been on the receiving end of Harry's rage. He'd experienced the aftermath during Order missions but, for the most part, Harry Potter was always calm and reserved.

"I… I um…" Teddy lost the ability to speak when Harry's gaze fell on him again. Harry was the closest thing he'd had to a father and to disappoint him or enrage him like he'd obviously done made his insides twist and his heart ache.

"Boys!" Harry called to Albus and James. "Leave the trunk in the kitchen and meet me in the parlour." He Disapparated and the loud 'crack' seemed to resonate against the icy walkway and threatened to dislodge a few icicles from the house.

Teddy turned to look at James and Albus and sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, Jamie. I should've told him earlier."

James' face and neck were red, his amber eyes sparkled with unshed tears and he nodded curtly before pulling the trunk inside the kitchen by himself. James was not a small man by any stretch of the imagination. His torso was long, his chest was wide and muscular, and Teddy enjoyed mapping those muscles with his hands and lips. His shoulders were firm and wide, giving him the build of his Uncle Ron rather than Harry or Ginny. The realization that he had just referred to Ron as Uncle Ron made him groan as he followed the boys into the house. He did NOT need to be reminded that he was having, by all intents and purposes, an incestuous relationship with his godfather's son.

"Dad'll get over it," Al was telling James as they tossed their gear on top of the trunk and sent their brooms flying up the stairs to their bedrooms.

"He won't, Al. No way." James shrugged Al's hand off his shoulder. "You don't just get over finding out your son is shagging your godson." He waved his hands back and forth between himself and Teddy. "I should've kept my mouth shut, but you kept pushing and I let you. I let you bait me AGAIN!" James stormed off toward the parlour and Teddy sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Al spun around to face Teddy and with narrowed eyes, hissed in Teddy's face. "You better not fucking deny him in that room. You go in there and you take whatever Dad dishes out," he added in a cold voice. "Jamie may be an arse but he doesn't deserve to feel like he's alone in this."

"What makes you think I would ever deny him?" Teddy asked shocked. Had he not tried to broach the subject with Harry over coffee this morning? He would NEVER deny what he felt for James, he just didn't know how to tell his godfather that he was in love with his son.

"You could've said something sooner. You could've told Dad that you were shagging his firstborn! Or was he just a good lay and nothing more?" Al's eyes blazed like his father's and without the spectacles to block some of the effect, the rage was much more evident.

"Jamie's never been just a lay," Teddy growled, "and **you're** not the one I need to be having this conversation with. Get out of my way, Al." He pushed past Albus toward the parlour and stopped when he saw James standing in front of the closed door, his hand on the doorknob, his shoulders shaking.

"Jamie?" he asked tentatively, placing a hand on his lover's shoulder.

"Dad's never..." he trailed off, sniffling and wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. "He's never called me in here before."

"He's called me into the parlour, tons!" Al said clapping him on the back and letting Teddy unwrap James' fingers from the doorknob. "Besides, it's Teddy's job to cover your arse, isn't it?" He winked at them, opened the door and walked in leaving James and Teddy outside staring at the door.

"You don't have to do this," Jamie said turning to look at him. "I can just tell him I was taking the mickey out of Al and that I didn't mean anything by it. It's no big deal, really. It's not worth," James suddenly stopped talking as Teddy crashed his lips against the redhead's. He'd learned, nearly a year before, that to shut James up, you literally had to stop his lips from moving.

"I'm not ashamed of you, Jamie, or what we share," he said, looking into James' eyes. "I'm not ashamed of what I am either and I'd be a poor boyfriend if I denied you. "

Teddy walked into the parlour, reluctantly letting go of James' hand and sat across the desk from Harry beside Albus. James sat to his left and they all jumped when Harry slammed the door closed with a wave of his hand. _If he's doing wandless magic, he's angrier than we thought!_

"Explain," Harry said in a clipped tone. His gaze seemed to bore into Teddy's soul. _Well, it was now or never._

"Jamie," _shit, he shouldn't call him that, it makes him sound like he's three years old!_ He was James to everyone else, but to Teddy, he'd always been his Jamie. Teddy cleared his throat and tried again. "James and I are" - he looked at James who was staring at his hands folded on his lap, his left ankle resting on his right knee - "we're a couple."

"And?" Harry asked.

"And, well… um… well...." Teddy didn't know if spelling out all the details of their intimacy was appropriate so he just said the first thing that came to mind. "We'd like to continue to see each other if it's okay with you."

Harry said nothing. He sat back in the chair, looked at James, at Albus, then back at Teddy. "Is there anything you boys need to tell me?"

James shifted in his seat uncomfortably then looked over at Teddy and Albus before looking back down at his hands. Al cleared his throat and was about to speak when James suddenly blurted out, "I'm gay." Slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet his father's.

Not to be outdone by his brother, Albus piped up. "Me too. But you already knew about me," Al added making both Teddy and James whip their heads to look at him.

Al shrugged and turned to look at James. "Professor Longbottom found out by accident and told Dad and well," he shrugged again and looked at his father. "You're not going to ground us for being gay are you?"

"That's the most idiotic thing you've ever said," James argued and leaned forward to look at Albus across from Teddy. "And how the hell does Professor Longbottom find out about your sexual orientation by accident? Unless you… don't tell me he caught…" he said with wide eyes and Teddy had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

"And that's another thing, Albus! If I get another owl about you and Scorpius," Harry said and was cut off by James' leap to his feet.

"SCORPIUS!? Malfoy? You're shagging that… that…" James sputtered and Al narrowed his eyes at James.

"Careful what you call him, Jamie-poo!" Al hissed.

"If I get another owl," Harry said, louder this time, "I WILL ground you for being gay, Albus Severus. So help me, I will! Now, get out there and pick up the gear before your mother gets home. She'll transfigure it again and we'll NEVER find all the pieces. Teddy and I need to talk alone."

_Oh shit, that did NOT sound well!_

The boys left bickering quietly, James had at least squeezed his shoulder before following his brother out of the parlour and when the door closed, Teddy felt the Imperturbable charm fall across the room.

"If I don't do that, they'll have the Extendable Ears at the door and I want us to be able to talk freely," Harry said calmly.

"Okay," Teddy said tentatively. "What do you need to talk about?"

"Do you really care for him?" Harry asked, leaning forward on the desk.

"Of course, I do! I've loved Jamie for…" Teddy stopped to think about his words and his eyes widened. _He'd loved Jamie for years, he just hadn't admitted it to himself._

"Good. Because that boy thinks he's in love with you and I don't want to have to kill my godson for breaking my son's heart," Harry said with a smirk.

"So, you're okay with us being together?"

"Yes," Harry said with a smile, "and no."

"No?" Teddy asked with a raised brow.

"As long as you keep it in your pants while you're in the house and don't let Ginny or I catch you leaving his bedroom or he yours," Harry said, then raised a hand when Teddy started sputtering denials. "Then I'm okay with you two together. But, you have to be very careful, Teddy. You know that the Wizarding world is not as accepting as the Muggle and with talk that hate crimes in the Muggle world have been linked to Death Eater activity, I… I want you to be very careful."

"I will be. I would never do anything to hurt Jamie," Teddy said.

"Now, there's one more thing to deal with," Harry said leaning back in his chair.

"What's that?" Teddy asked nervously.

"Telling his mother," Harry said with a chuckle.

Teddy winced. "Do you think she'll be that angry?"

"Do you remember what happened when the Cannons beat the Harpies for the World Cup last year?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Teddy's eyes widened. He'd had to help Harry clean up the mess after Ginny had blown up the hutch that the wireless had been sitting on.

"Don't worry," Harry said with a chuckle. "Albus and I will give you a running head start."


End file.
